Roy Yamaguchi

Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, Roy Yamaguchi moved to the U.S. to attend the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. After graduating, his devotion to French cooking was nurtured further in southern California, where he signed on for an apprenticeship at L'Escoffier, followed by one at L'Ermitage under the late master chef Jean Bertanou. He worked his way up to chef status with stints at Le Serene and Le Gourmet. In 1984, Chef Yamaguchi finally opened his first restaurant as an owner, 385 North on Hollywood's La Cienega.

This is where the Yamaguchi cooking style, described by Bon Appetit as "California-French-Japanese-eclectic," first came into bloom. After dissolving his L.A. partnership in early 1988, he uprooted his young family in order to renew his acquaintance with Hawaii, settling into the eastern side of Honolulu known as Hawaii Kai. The opening of Yamaguchi's restaurant, Roy’s, did not go unnoticed. Within months Food & Wine dubbed it "the crown jewel of Honolulu's East-West eateries." It was virtually the only one of its type in the early years. Today there are 37 Roy’s worldwide. He boasts the honor of being the first Hawaiian restaurateur to win the prestigious James Beard Award. Yamaguchi has appeared on Iron Chef, is the author of four cookbooks, and hosted the cooking show Hawaii Cooks.

Roy’s

The first Roy’s was opened in 1988 in Honolulu, Hawaii. This is where Roy’s unique Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine was created. After opening three other Roy's locations throughout the Hawaiian Islands, Roy branched out to the continental U.S. and eventually expanded to areas including Pebble Beach, California; Scottsdale, Arizona; Chicago, Illinois; New York City, New York; and more recently Plano, Texas; Jacksonville, Florida; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Atlanta, Georgia; Tampa, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Maryland. There are also Roy’s locations in Japan and Guam.

Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine

Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine is a blend of fresh local ingredients, bold Asian spices and European sauces with an emphasis on fresh seafood. Roy’s also features hand-cut meats, sushi, fresh shellfish and signature desserts and cocktails, including the Classic Hawaiian Martini.

Community Involvement

Roy Yamaguchi is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Culinary Institute of America.He is also a member of the steering committees for the Culinary Institute of the Pacific and the Leeward Community Culinary College. He is on the Board of Directors for Hale Aina, a nonprofit organization dedicated to championing Hawaii’s culinary industry and the University of Hawaii’s culinary training programs; Go for Broke National Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization with educational programs about the history of the Japanese-American veterans of WWII; and Grow for Good, a national initiative from Food & Wine magazine dedicated to raising $1 million for Farm to Table, a national initiative dedicated to supporting local farms and encouraging sustainable agriculture. He started the Tom and Warren Matsuda Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships to the Culinary Institute of the Pacific for first-, second- and third-place winners of an annual culinary competition.